


In Your Shadow

by HeadphoneArcheologist



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe, Azura is a princess of Hoshido, Blood, Complicated Relationships, Corrin is a princess of Nohr, Crossdressing, Death, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Light Angst, No Spoilers, Violence, War, partially cannon compliant, takes place before the events of the game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2019-10-27 23:04:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17775911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeadphoneArcheologist/pseuds/HeadphoneArcheologist
Summary: Princess Hinoka of Hoshido once had an older sister who meant the world to her. A sister who was unmatched in skill with a lance and a foe to be feared on her Pegasus. She was everything Hinoka wanted to be: elegant, talented, and a warrior. She never expected the war which took their father, would take Azura as well.All Hinoka wanted was a chance to find her sister and to bring her home, but the battlefield is so much worse than she ever could have dreamed.





	1. A Sister's Love

**Author's Note:**

> Things to know about the fictional universe of this story 
> 
> Azura is Hinoka's older sister and always has been  
> Corrin is Camilla's younger sister and always has been  
> Camilla is cross dressing for a majority of the story

When distance is great enough war can seem an entire world away. Far from the front lines there is no smoke rising to the skies from villages pillaged and burned. There are no shouted cries from soldiers begging not to be conquered. In the elegant palace of Hoshido there is only stillness within the safety of queen Mikoto's magic.

In the gardens the cherry blossoms fall from the trees in the same delicate patterns that they trace in both peace and war.

The physical scars are indeed absent, but in spite of the stillness the war is always present in the quiet shadows between dusk and dawn, and in the hearts of those left behind. For the second princess Hinoka, the war is always present in the spaces where an older sister once stood.

Azura had been everything Hinoka wanted to be. She was elegant, poised, and she could fly a pegasus like no other sky knight. Her voice was like an angel, and she danced like a goddess captivating all those who had the privilege of seeing her perform. In all the ways Hinoka could see, Azura was absolutely perfect.

When the war first began and Hinoka's oldest brother Ryoma was called to battle, she had been inconsolable. It was Azura who finally reached her, who held her close and assured her everything would be alright. Without her older sister at her side to guide her, the absence of her brother surly would have left her lost.

It was Azura who promised no harm would ever befall her siblings while she lived and breathed.

It was Azura who would comb her fingers through Hinoka's long red hair and sing her to sleep when the nights had become to quiet to bare.

Then came the day Azura left to fight by Ryoma's side.

On that day it became Hinoka's responsibility to hold her youngest sister Sakura as she cried. Suddenly it was Hinoka making promises not knowing if they held true. It was Hinoka who swore no Nohrian could best their siblings in battle.

Then came the awful day that Ryoma returned without Azura, and Hinoka's world shattered to pieces around her.

While the eldest princess of Hoshido still lives, to be taken prisoner by Nohr is a fate some would consider far worse than death. As days turned to months and then to years many in Hoshido began to loose hope of ever seeing their beloved princess Azura returned to them.

-

Falling from her pegasus' back Princess Hinoka of Hoshido collapses to the ground on her hands and knees. The world spins around her in a blur of pain and unbearable nausea. Unable to bare the dizziness she vomits into the grass.

Around her the wind blows gently, flowing through her hair and cooling her clammy skin. The soft touch is soothing but she shivers from the sudden chill anyway. There is a consistent tremor in her hands, though she tries to make them stop by clenching her fists until her bones ache. Blades of grass get caught between her fingers, dying her skin green against the damp black earth.

Hinoka cannot make herself stop shaking. Even after there is nothing left in her stomach to heave her entire body is wracked by uncontrollable tremors as she chokes and sobs.

Over her shoulder the wings of her pegasus flutter anxiously.

Hinoka understands now.

She knows why Ryoma did not want her here.

It does not matter that Hinoka has been training with the sky knights every single day since Azura disappeared. It doesn't matter that she can best each and every one of them in the air and on the ground. None of it has prepared her for this. Nothing could have prepared her for the harsh disgusting realities of war.

Her body might have escaped the battle, but it clings to her like a layer of dirt on her skin.

She shouldn't have followed Ryoma.

She should have listened when he said she wasn't ready.

Ryoma was right when he ordered her to stay home.

She should not have come here.

The clash of swords and the cries of the fallen ring in her ears as persistent as a migraine. Hinoka could hardly tell friend from foe among the death and the blood. Their screams all sound the same, blurring together into a single horrific symphony. There was no honor. There was no glory. There was only the black and red as the armies of Hoshido and Nohr met in the center of a brutal tragedy. There was slaughter on both sides. No right or wrong, no victor nor loser, just death.

In the air the enemy dragon knights forced her to fly low and within range of the archers. Those arrows which sung through the air their terrible song and came so close to clipping the wings of her pegasus. On the ground was no better. The screaming deafened her. The horrid smell of iron and salt suffocating her.

Hinoka cannot breathe without tasting death on her tongue even still. The memory sucks the air right from her lungs until she is gasping for breath and choking on her own desperate lungs.

After fleeing the battle Hinoka found refuge here on the bank of a clear blue lake within a circle of trees. It is far from the fighting and still she cannot push it from her mind. The darkness has infected her, tainting everything around her. The stench of decay lingers in place of the calming smell of the nearby water. She cannot taste the clean air with the burn of acid at the back of her throat.

Hinoka gasps and shudders through hiccuping sobs. She closes her eyes in some attempt to find relief only to find the battle plays in vivid detail behind her eyelids. If she listens she can still hear it, the distant roar. No matter how far she runs she can still hear it, the war which rages on without her.

The fallen princess of Hoshido drags herself to her feet but stumbles backwards into the mud. There she stays, resigned to her position. She pulls her knees to her chest, buries her hands in her hair, and she cries without remorse.

Her thoughts are a whirlwind of pain and carnage. The Nohrian knights atop their black horses with their lances painted red with the blood of the Hoshidan samurai. Her bones ache from each attempt to block the cut of an ax or the blade of a sword. In the heat of the moment all her training abandoned her and all she could do was desperately hold onto her life. She could hardly fight. She could hardly do anything at all. Face to face with a real enemy is nothing like sparring with her teachers or her fellow sky knights.

Blood.

Death.

The screaming.

It's all so much worse than she imagined.

Having witnessed war firsthand she understands why her brother was so insistent that she wasn't ready. He ordered her to stay home, and like a stubborn fool she followed him anyway.

Like a coward she ran the first chance she got.

Hinoka cries until her eyes ache with tears and her head is sore with hopeless thoughts. She doesn't dare move until she can force her fingers to release their white knuckle grip on her hair.

Only when she is certain that she won't shake apart at the seams does she dare open her eyes.

The scenery is beautiful. The clear water of the lake reflects the pale blue sky in perfect likeness, while the trees sway in the breeze, green and full of life. In other circumstances she might have found this place peaceful. In another lifetime she might have even called it wonderful.

The sound of wings beating violently against the air breaks the atmosphere.

A large shadow races across the ground and over the water.

The sound of wings draws closer.

Hinoka gets to her feet and reaches for her naginata. Seconds later a dark shape collides with the lake, landing half in the water and half along the shore. A torrent of water soaks the earth and drenches the black dragon now dragging itself out of the lake. It's claws dig into the ground and leave scars in their wake.

On the dragons back a knight is slumped forward in a saddle dressed head to toe in black armor. As their mount attempts to steady themselves, the knight begins to list to one side before slipping from the saddle entirely. The knight crumples to the ground in a heap.

Hinoka wonders if the knight is dead, but she grips her weapon tight just in case. She cannot afford to let her guard down, even when all her instincts are telling her to run.

Slowly the knight begins to move. They use the handle of the ax in their hand to leverage themselves back to their feet. They manage to stay upright for a moment before stumbling. As the knight attempts to catch themselves they cry out in pain, holding onto their right side where the black breastplate is cracked.

This is the moment she should run, but if Hinoka moves the knight will see her.

If she doesn't the knight will see her anyway.

The knight turns.

A black faceless helmet covers their features but Hinoka feels watched anyway.

The wind blows.

The knight grips their ax and begins to advance on Hinoka with a battle cry that shatters the silence. 

There isn't much time to think. There is hardly time to breathe. The knight begins to swing their ax in a downward arc. Instinct drives Hinoka to duck beneath the blow while momentum drags the knight downward and away. This exposes the knight's injured side. It also puts them between Hinoka and her pegasus.

She's cut off her own escape route.

Hinoka holds her ground.

She lunges with her naginata aimed at the cracked section of armor. At the same time the knight swings their ax upward. Metal sings as it clashes against metal. The ax diverts the point of the naginata away from the knight's body. Pain surges through Hinoka's arm but the blade of the ax misses her entirely.

Once more momentum pulls the knight sluggishly behind it. The knight stumbles and falls to one knee. Hinoka once more attempts a lunge. This time aiming for the smallest gap in the knight's armor at their hip. With a tremendous amount of strength the knight brings their ax downward. The blade connects with Hinoka's naginata in just the right way. The wooden shaft splinters apart in her hands. Her weapon completely severed in two. 

Panicked Hinoka tosses the pieces away. Instead she aims a kick at the knight's head. Her boot connects with the dark helmet, sending it flying. 

A numb sort of pain races up Hinoka's leg as the knight's entire body jerks to the side.

Beside the lake, the black wyvern roars.

Hinoka's labored breathing is all she can hear in the momentary ceasefire. This is the moment she should either play her advantage or take the chance to run, but she does neither. Without their helmet she can see the knight's face clearly for the first time.

She hesitates.

While the knight's lavender hair is cut short like a Nohrian man might wear it, Hinoka thinks the knight is a woman. She is clearly dressing in a masculine fashion but her features are feminine. Her bangs are sticking to her face with both water and sweat, but that curtain does nothing to hide the fury in her violet eyes.

Hinoka takes a step back. The knight snarls “keep fighting!” She tries to pull herself to her feet, tries to take another swing, but both her stance and her grip are wrong. All she does is force herself back to her knees. She cries out as she falls. Blood sluggishly drips down the cracks in her armor. Clearly the other knight is severely injured, so why is she so determined to keep fighting?

Even if she had a weapon Hinoka would not be able to bring herself to strike down anyone who couldn't fight back. 

She should.

This is war.

She won't.

Hinoka can't.

The knight screams in rage, throwing her ax to the side. It collides with the ground and sinks in the mud, and the knight screams again until her voice goes hoarse. As the echo fades the knight hangs her head, her breathing heavy, as if inviting Hinoka to end her life.

She should.

This knight wants to kill her.

She is the enemy.

This is war.

Hinoka turns her back on the despaired knight, climbs onto her pegasus and flies away as fast as wings will carry her.

-

In the aftermath Hinoka scouts the battlefield for her brother.

Finding Ryoma alive fills the princess with unashamed relief.

Finding Hinoka on the battlefield fills the prince with paralyzing fear.

The princess throws her arms around her brother and lets herself be the younger sister.

She lets herself cry.

-

Ryoma insisted on escorting her back to the palace personally. During the journey he did not speak to her, and under that oppressive silence Hinoka could find no words herself. The heavy weight of his disappointment burdens her shoulders.

Approaching the palace gates should have filled her with joy, instead she only feels dread. A princess returning home in disgrace. 

They march through the palace towards the throne room where Queen Mikoto is waiting to receive them. Hinoka walks two paces behind her brother, like a criminal being lead to her execution. The pleasant memories which fill these walls do nothing to lighten her heart.

All she wanted was to help but in the end she was only a hindrance. Her shortsightedness has taken the prince from his troops and for what? This unbearable silence that has fallen between her and her brother? Her aid did nothing for the battle. This is all her fault.

Prisoner and executioner enter the throne room. The doors close with the long suffering echo of a funeral bell. “Ryoma, I am so glad to see you are alright” Queen Mikoto greets them as she sits regal and elegant on the throne. She smiles, but there is sorrow in her voice.

“I wish it was under better circumstances” Ryoma says grimly in response. He turns toward Hinoka then, but she cannot bring herself to meet his eyes and instead lets her gaze fall to the floor. 

“Hinoka why did you do this?” Mikoto asks. The love and understanding in her voice feels like a physical blow against Hinoka's misery. 

She holds her tongue and says nothing. What could she even say?

She didn't want to be left behind.

She wanted to help.

She wanted to be the one to bring Azura home.

Her refusal to answer sparks anger in Ryoma. “You could have been killed, you could have gotten someone else killed” he snaps, “will you not explain your reasons?”

Between her two brothers Ryoma is the more leveled headed. He has always been a calming presence, a voice of reason, and someone who could be counted on for unbiased wisdom. Never has he been this angry with her. In fact she cannot recall a time he was ever this angry at all.

Hinoka bites her lip and shakes her head.

What can she say?

This is her fault.

Ryoma beings shouting at her. “What were you thinking!? I told you to stay behind! I told you you weren't ready! Is it so difficult to listen? Will you not be satisfied until I have lost two sisters!?” 

This is the first time Ryoma has ever raised his voice at her.

Her fault.

Hinoka closes her eyes, clenching her fingers into fists as she tries to hold onto her composure. A tear glides down her cheek and hits the floor without a sound. This isn't what she wanted. This isn't at all what she wanted.

“Perhaps that is enough for now” Mikoto interjects with a sigh. It only makes Hinoka feel worse. What kind of daughter is she to have made her mother sound so defeated? “Both of you are safe, that is all I need to know.”

Ryoma turns his back on them both and leaves the hall without another word. Not once does he turn and look back. His gaze is focused ahead as he marches forward. 

Can her brother not see that she wanted to protect him? Do her reasons even matter if she recklessly put lives at risk? Hinoka was so foolish. She never thought about how her actions could affect her family. Sakura must be so worried. She probably found someway to blame herself, and Takumi... he must resent her for leaving.

Just like Azura.

For the first time in her life Hinoka doesn't want to be like her sister.

She doesn't want to be the one who leaves her siblings behind.

-

 

This far from the fight the war seems a world away, but in truth it lurks even in the palace of Hoshido. 

The war heavies the heart of the princess who has now witnessed that darkness with her own eyes, and will carry it with her always.

-

Sweat is beginning to bead across Hinoka's forehead. Despite having tied her hair up to keep it out of her eyes strands of hair are starting to her cheeks and neck. Salt is all she can taste and her muscles ache with every movement as she goes through her training routine with a vengence.

Given such a late hour no one else is present in the training grounds. The full moon hangs in the night sky giving enough light to see by but is aided by several lanterns burning with a harsh orange glow. Several practice dummies are set against the far wall casting ominous humanoid shadows. Near them are weapon racks set with training weapons of various types. One such weapon Hinoka is holding tightly in her hands; a dulled naginata. 

Nearly a week has passed since her disastrous attempt to play soldier. Since then Hinoka has been obsessive in her training. Sleep has become more difficult to find, and those sleepless nights find her here running through drills until exhaustion demand she rest.

Black dragon wings haunt her dreams. White feathers speckled with red. Dark scales dipped in blood from the samurai caught by sharp teeth and razor claws. 

Another strand of hair falls in front of her eyes.

It's such a small thing.

One small thing on top of a million other small things.

Hinoka screams in frustration. Her naginata is thrown carelessly to the ground. The sound rings off the walls around her and fades into the dark night.

It isn't fair.

None of this is fair.

Why did Nohr have to take her sister? Why didn't her brother give her a chance to prove herself? Why is any of this happening?

The ribbon holding her hair back has completely come loose, and something in her breaks. Rage pushes her limbs to the nearest weapons rack. Exhaustion curls her fingers around the handle of a katana. Frustration pulls her hair back. Fear drags the blade of the katana through her hair.

The dulled edge hardly cuts anything. The more she tries to force it the more mangled the strands become. In the end she is left with most of her hair intact and a section of it absolutely ruined but indeed shorter.

Severed strands of hair bleed to the ground. She drops the katana and brings her hands forward to stare down at the red still clinging to her fingers.

Azura always wore her hair long. It never seemed to get in her way despite it's length. Hinoka never managed to grow her hair quite as long. The longest she has ever gotten was only halfway down her back, while Azura's brushes her ankles. It still felt nice when Azura would brush her fingers through Hinoka's hair. She always commented on how beautiful she looked. Now it's ruined.

Why can't she stop crying?

It's just hair.

“Hinoka?” A timid voice interrupts her self induce misery. Without even looking Hinoka knows it must be Sakura.

Her youngest sister shouldn't see her like this. Hinoka is meant to be the strong one now that Azura is gone. Knowing this doesn't stop the tears. She hugs her arms around herself and tries to will Sakura to leave. She is an older sibling, she can't fall apart like this.

She can't.

To Hinoka's dread Sakura comes closer with a lantern held in her hands to light the way. Her gasp is soft but impossibly loud in the empty training grounds. “S-sister your hair...”

“I... it....” Hinoka struggles to find the words. Every excuse that comes to mind sounds pathetic, and she can't tell the truth. Nothing she says is going to change the fact that she must look like a complete wreck anyway.

Gentle as the flowers which share her name, Sakura grasps Hinoka's rough calloused hand in her own. She leads them away from the training grounds and back into the palace. No one else is awake to gawk at their princesses as they pass and for that Hinoka is grateful. It's embarrassing enough that her sister has to see her like this.

Sakura leads them back to her room where she encourages Hinoka to sit down while she retrieves a pair of scissors. In that time Hinoka manages to dry her tears. In place of misery she now feels hollowed out and empty.

“I'm sorry” she whispers as Sakura returns holding a set of ornate scissors.

“Y-you don't have to be s-sorry. It's okay to c-cry. We're all worried about Ryoma a-and Azura.” Sakura assures her as she moves to stand behind Hinoka. She begins grasping strands of torn red hair between her fingers and carefully starts to cut so the ends align. 

The absence of their oldest siblings breaks Hinoka's heart, does her sister hurt in the same way or does it cut a far deeper wound? So caught up in her own sorrow she has never properly considered how Sakura must be shouldering her own suffering. “I wish Azura was here” she confesses quietly.

“So do I” Sakura says, sharing in her sisters grief.

They let silence fall between them as Sakura finishes up her work. The snipping of the scissors and the gentle flutter of hair falling to the floor settle in place of words.

It takes some time but eventually Sakura manages a style which she thinks suits Hinoka now that her hair is drastically shorter. Once she is done, Sakura goes to find a silver hand mirror among her things. She hands the mirror to Hinoka so she can see the style for herself.

Hinoka almost doesn't want to look. She is sure her sister did a good job cutting her hair but she is scared to face the consequences of her brash actions. A deep breath. Hinoka takes the mirror. Gazing at her reflection Hinoka is quiet for a long time. Long enough that Sakura begins to fidget with the sleeves of her nightgown.”Do you l-like it?”

Does she like it? 

Her hair is so short it sort of naturally spikes in the back but her bangs are a bit longer framing her face. The Hinoka in the mirror looks like a completely different person. Her eyes, her nose, and the shape of her face is all the same but somehow entirely different.

It's different, very different. 

“It's fine. Thank you Sakura” is all Hinoka can think to say.

-

Strange how something as simple as a haircut can make Hinoka feel like someone entirely new. Not only does she look different but she also feels different. The weight of her hair and the weight of something more has been lifted from her shoulders. Catching her reflection catches Hinoka by surprise each time. She looks older, mature, like she's capable of anything.

For the first time Hinoka looks at herself and doesn't see all the ways she fails to look like Azura. She misses her long hair, misses the familiarity of it's weight, but this new style suits her more than she would have thought.

The freedom of finally stepping out of the shadow Azura left behind is what gives Hinoka the courage to mount her pegasus once more and follow her brother back to the battlefield.

Her family may not forgive her for this, but it is something she feels she must do.

-

Flying Hinoka can travel much further much faster than on foot or even on horseback. Flying to the border is not a difficult task. Still it takes longer than she would like, as she cannot push her pegasus until he collapses. Fortunately the army has not moved, holding it's position steadfast near the bottomless canyon. However as she approaches the location she has once again found the army in battle with the Nohrian invaders.

From above she can distinctly see the two armies as they collide. Even from this great height Hinoka can recognize Ryoma among the soldiers by following the path of blue lightning from his legendary blade. No doubt he will be angry with her when he sees her, but Hinoka is eager to find her place at his side anyway. There she can protect him, like Azura did, but in her own way. Whatever way that is.

“I have to hurry” Hinoka tells herself as she gathers her courage. As she is about to dive headfirst into the battle, a shadow blocks the sun overhead.

Perhaps Hinoka has only seen battle once but she knows what that shadow means.

Dragon.

It seems she will have to wait to find Ryoma.

The wind changes as Hinoka urges her Pegasus to dive. Above her the dragon does the same. Hinoka avoids the dragons claws as she and her pegasus twist in the air putting distance between the other knight but leveling them at an equal altitude. 

The enemy knight does not advance right away, instead they lift their hands to remove their helmet. The knights lavender colored bangs fall to cover one half of her face. “You cut your hair princess.” The knight calls over the powerful beat of her dragons wings.

Hinoka is surprised to be recognized. The last time she fought this particular foe the other knight never mentioned her status as royalty, then again, they didn't exactly talk much.

Reminded of her previous failure Hinoka grips her naginata tight in her hands. This time she is determined to win. No matter what. “I'm not running away this time!” She promises the other knight. On her honor she will not run away.

It's difficult to see the woman's expression given the distance between them, but Hinoka swears she is smiling beneath a curtain of hair. “Wonderful. I'd have it no other way!”

The dragon roars and rushes forward with sharp claws and deadly teeth at the ready. Unlike the last battle Hinoka finds herself settling into a sense of calm after only a moment of panic. Her pegasus is faster and more agile. She can outmaneuver a Nohrian dragon knight no problem. She has no reason to be afraid.

Hinoka expertly steers her Pegasus out of danger but close enough that she can strike at the knight on the dragons back. Her first lunge misses. The second collides against the woman's ax. Her arm throbs from the resulting vibrations but her grip does not waiver. Quick as she can Hinoka darts out of the way before her enemy can attack. Dragon teeth snap shut around the air where her pegasus' wings had been only a second before. Hinoka has to be careful. Speed is her only advantage. All it would take is one hit.

They clash again. Hinoka thrusts her naginata with all her strength. The blade impacts armor but it isn't enough to pierce metal or dislodge the knight from her saddle. The curve of the ax catches Hinoka's weapon. A sharp tug nearly rips it from her hands. 

Hinoka does not let that deter her. She strikes again. 

Her Pegasus cries out in pain pulling Hinoka's attention away. Claws have sunk into his hind leg, the blood stark against his white coat. Hinoka curses and leads them out of range. For a moment she had forgotten she was fighting more than just the other knight.

A dangerous mistake.

The dragon gives chase with a powerful roar. Together they twist through the sky, Hinoka always a pace ahead of the other. She has no room to attack this way, but slowing down will put her in range of those claws once more.

She needs a plan. There has to be a way to force the dragon knight off her tail.

Hinoka dives fearlessly closer to the ground, her mind racing. Sparks of blue lightning catch and hold her attention. Her brother is so close by, does he need her help? Hinoka swore not to run from this fight, but if her brother needs her surly that takes priority, but how can she get to him? She needs to think of something.

Behind a wall of samurai Hinoka spots a troop of Hoshidan archers. A plan of attack presents itself.

Hinoka dives right toward the archers. It's risky flying so low but she doesn't see any Nohrian archers and the Hoshidan's will know not to fire at a sky knight. They will however fire at an enemy dragon, which will force the other knight to either risk death or retreat to a safe altitude. That will give Hinoka the break she needs to check and ensure her brother is safe.

A hail of arrows fly past her, aimed at the dragon behind her. Hinoka doesn't know if any hit their mark, but the dragon roars and a gust of wind signals their retreat. It might not be for long, Hinoka has to use her time wisely.

She searches her field of vision for the blue lightning of Raijinto. The flashes are easy to see but difficult to pinpoint their location exactly. As fast as pegasus wings can carry her, Hinoka flies to her brother, letting Raijinto be her guiding light.

The lightning draws her though the battlefield, past samurai and Norhian knights alike. Hinoka is lead to her brother who is is locked in battle against a man perched on a black horse wearing a black crown among blonde curls.

Hinoka knows him.

Crown Prince Xander of Nohr.

The enemy prince advances on Ryoma at the same moment Hinoka dives in to stop him. Without care she puts herself between Xander and her brother, her naginata at the ready. The prince pulls hard on his horses reigns lest he crash right into her. 

“Hinoka!” Ryoma shouts at her, “I ordered you to stay home!”

Which clearly worked so well last time. “I won't leave you brother!” She shouts back and attempts to strike the Nohrian prince.

The advantage of reach wielding a naginata against a sword doesn't seem to aid her here. Xander is clearly a skilled swordsmen. She cannot get passed his defenses, and fails to even slow him down. In contrast the prince's sword is difficult to dodge and almost impossible to block.

At a disadvantage Hinoka quickly finds herself paralyzed as Prince Xander bares down on her, but before he can even lift his sword Ryoma is there to defend her with Raijinto. Unfortunately Xander is also fighting with allies. A foot soldier wielding a sword defends the Norhian Prince against Ryoma, while a cavalier knight with bright colored hair separates Hinoka from her brother. They cross lances but the enemy cavalier strikes with a viciousness Hinoka cannot hope to match.

The situation gets worse.

A dragons roar sounds overhead.

The lavender haired knight has returned. Hinoka is out of time.

“I thought you told me you were done running away!” She cries as her dragon barrels down on them from above.

Hinoka will surly die if she stays there, pinned down by a wyvern above her and a sadistic cavalier on the ground. Desperate to escape Hinoka takes to the air again. Fine. If she can't aid her brother directly the least she can do is keep this one dragon knight off his back.

-

Both Hinoka and her adversary attempt to take mastery of the sky.

Neither succeeds.

It's a bloody skirmish that leaves Hinoka battered and exhausted but alive.

The enemy dragon knight is forced to flee as the Nohrian forces retreat back to their side of the bottomless canyon.

“Until next time” The knight promises, a manic grin painted on her lips and promise in her eyes. 

As she watches the woman fly away Hinoka knows this will not be the last time they meet. 

-

The aftermath of battle leaves Hinoka sore from head to toe and absolutely desperate for a chance to bathe. At this point she would be whiling to settle for a bucket and a wash rag. Adrenaline has made her sluggish like a sugar crash, but as much as she wants to sleep there is something she must do first.

At least she feels marginally better than she did after her first battle. She's weary yes but she isn't broken. She's alive, and she didn't run away.

The first thing Hinoka does when she lands is get her Pegasus to a healer. The shrine maiden looks surprised to see the princess there but she doesn't comment. She merely bows her head and follows orders.

With that taken care of now Hinoka must find her brother. She isn't looking forward to it but it must be done. She feels prepared this time to face Ryoma's anger. This time she refuses to return home with her tail between her legs. This time she will stay and fight by his side whether he likes it or not.

Ryoma is not difficult to find.

Hinoka faces him with her head held high.

The prince crosses his arms, towering over his younger sister. “You were meant to stay in the palace where you would be safe. Why have you come back?” His voice is steady and restrained but Hinoka knows if she does not choose her words carefully that could easily change. He will march her back home and shout at her again if she gives him reason to.

Hinoka musters every ounce of stern determination that she can into her stance. If she wants to change his mind she must present herself as an immovable object. “I am here to protect my family.” She says and tries to match his tone.

The prince and princess of Hoshido lock themselves into a silent battle of will. Neither wants to back down, both seek to protect the other and both disagree about how to do so. After several moments Ryoma sighs. The struggle between them is not yet lost nor won, but the older of the two does yield for the moment. “You wish to help?”

“Yes. I want to protect you. I can be helpful, you just need to give me a chance.”

She wants Nohr to pay for what they have done to her family. 

She will find Azura and bring her home.

All she needs is one chance.

“If you wish to help then you will follow orders. Expect no special treatment from me. You are a princess and you are my sister, but I will not have insubordination from my soldiers. You will put everyone around you in danger if you do not listen, do you understand?”

A spark of excitement dares Hinoka to hope but she refrains from doing anything as childish as jumping for joy or cry. “Yes brother. I understand.”

Ryoma turns from her then and calls another sky knight to his side. “Send a message to the palace. Princess Hinoka will be joining the battle on the front lines.”


	2. Warrior of Hoshido

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earning a place at her brother's side is only one step in an uphill battle. Hinoka must learn how to be a soldier, but progress is slow and with each passing day the princess becomes more and more frustrated. She is still far from her ultimate goal. 
> 
> Once more Hinoka will come face to face with death, an encounter that leaves her with more questions than answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next one were originally one giant chapter which was split in half. Thus this one is shorter than the previous chapter.
> 
> Just in case the tag isn't enough:  
> Possible trigger warning for anyone sensitive to conversations referencing child abuse. It's very brief and doesn't go into any detail, but proceed at your own discretion.

Having won the right to fight alongside her brother is only the first step in a long upward climb. Becoming a soldier requires more than just the desire to fight, and there is a lot Hinoka needs to learn and unlearn.

To better her training Ryoma insists that they spar nearly every morning at dawn. These sparring sessions are exhausting and harsh but Hinoka refuses to give up. She faces her brother with everything she has but each fight is brutally one sided.

As the days pass Hinoka has begun to wonder if she is improving at all. Ryoma always beats her and she can never seem to gain any ground against him. It has only been a few days but she thought she would see progress right away if she simply wanted it enough. There isn't time for her to be weak, but pushing herself harder only seems to make her battles with Ryoma worse.

The other soldiers offer her advice but they can be contradicting. One person will suggest one thing only for the next to say the opposite. The only thing everyone she has spoken with has agreed on is that she should try slowing down. Hinoka doesn't take this particular advice well. She can't afford to be slow. She needs to be stronger and she needs to do it fast. 

“Why?” One laid back archer had asked her, “why is it so important? You should just go with the flow and let it come naturally.”

Needless to say, Hinoka doesn't know what she needs and she doesn't want to hear that she needs to be patient.

The days Nohr attacks are equally frustrating.

During these battles Hinoka has been ordered to stay away from the front line, to keep to the rear, and to offer support. She carries wounded back to the healers and assists in maneuvering units over difficult terrain but that's it. She hasn't fought a single enemy since she started. If she complains her brother might remove her from battle entirely, so despite her frustration with the situation Hinoka grits her teeth and bares it. The job is important, she knows that, but she is desperate to prove herself and feels she is being held back.

Hinoka gets through these battles without complaint because she knows she is helping. Even if it is in a different way than she wanted. Lives are being saved with her assistance and that for the most part is enough.

Between sparring and battle Hinoka doesn't have much downtime. There is a lot to be done around camp and as a soldier in the army she is expected to do her part regardless of her status. Ryoma told her not to expect special treatment and he has lived up to that.

In the rare quiet moments she has to herself, Hinoka often thinks about her sister. If she had seen battle that day Hinoka may also think of the lavender haired dragon knight. Since their last encounter she has yet to see the Nohrian woman again, and while she is grateful for that another part of her selfishly wants to cross paths with her again.

There is something captivating about the woman's violet eyes, something in the way she looked at Hinoka during their first encounter. She wants to understand what drove the other knight to continue such vicious attacks despite how injured she had been. She wants to know why the woman after struggling so hard to continue fighting had hung her head, inviting death so easily.

As a soldier Hinoka shouldn't be having such thoughts. She tries to squash the part of her that wants to understand the mysterious knight, but still her mind will wander in that direction against her wishes.

The dragon knight is the enemy she reminds herself time and time again.

That is all that should matter.

Hinoka shouldn't want to understand her.

She should want to kill her.

This is war after all, and they are soldiers stood on opposite sides.

That is all that matters.

-

When defending a border from an invading army, fighting can break out at any moment. Paranoia has become one of Hinoka's closest friends. Every distant noise has come to sound like a threat. Relaxing is nearly impossible when she must be ready to defend at all times. She has taken to sleeping with her naginata at her side, and carries the weapon with her everywhere when she is awake.

With each attack Hinoka's reaction time improves. She slips into a battle mindset quicker and quicker. At the next call to mobilize, Hinoka is ready in an instant. Within a moment she is running to her pegasus and taking to the sky even faster than the last time.

Observing the battle from the sky, it becomes clear within the first few minutes that something is clearly different about this fight.

Nohr has brought with it's knights and cavalry an army of dark mages and sorcerers. When the enemy attacks it is with a particular savagery and ferocity that Hinoka recognizes from battles where Prince Xander leads the charge personally.

It will be a difficult battle to win, but she is confident.

However as the fighting continues, Hinoka quickly finds herself overwhelmed. She is closer to the front line and she should be, but there are many injured who are unable to retreat to a safer distance and she refuses to let her countrymen down.

Quickly surveying the area Hinoka determines that there are probably not any archers within range. The battle is too chaotic for her to know for certain but it is a risk she is whiling to take. She guides her pegasus down to the ground near an injured samurai. The moment she touches ground she runs to the man's side.

The samurai's robes are stained red and his armor is scorched from dark magic. Hinoka is careful as she tries to move him, but he still hisses in pain as she hauls him to his feet with an arm around his shoulders.

It takes longer than she would like to walk the samurai the short distance back to her pegasus but carrying a fully grown man is difficult when he is leaning most of his weight on her. 

With effort she gets the samurai onto the back of her pegasus. Hinoka is about to swing onto the saddle herself when she is knocked to the ground by a sharp blinding pain along her right side. She cries out in agony as sparks dance along her skin from residual dark magic.

The pain is so intense she can hardly speak. She tries to stand but cannot get her legs beneath her. The dark mage who attacked her is probably already casting another spell. Hinoka won't make it onto her pegasus in time.

“Go!” Hinoka shouts, urging her pegasus to fly without her. A second strike of magic knocks the breathe out of her. “Go!” She shouts again the moment she is able, waving her arms and praying he listens.

At last her pegasus takes to the sky. If she dies here, at least she was able to save someone. 

Hinoka turns her attention to her enemy. The dark mage looms over her already chanting another spell. There is no strength in her to wield her naginata, she can hardly even keep from screaming in pain.

Purple light surrounds the mage, energy crackling in the air. In incantation is spoken with clear almost melodic words, but the mage is interrupted before the last syllables leave her lips. Something wet touches Hinoka's cheek as an ax separates the dark mages head completely from her shoulders.

The light fades and the headless body crumples to the ground, her blood pooling on the already blood stained earth. It's difficult for Hinoka to take her eyes off the gruesome scene, but she looks up and gazes at her savior. 

Standing above her like a dark shadow is a knight dressed in familiar dark armor. “Consider this a debt repaid” the dragon knight says, and without another word in explanation she turns and climbs aboard her dragon. 

With a powerful roar the wyvern takes to the sky and the woman is gone.

Hinoka is left collapsed to the ground, inches away from the cold body of her would be killer. She tips her head back against the dirt and tries to catch her breath while she can.

She's alive.

Her enemy saved her.

That knight killed one of her own soldiers to save Hinoka.

Why?

Hinoka feels sick. What sort of person can so coldly cut down one of their own like that? Nohrians must truly be despicable monsters to so easily decapitate a fellow soldiers for their own gain. These are the same animals who killed her father, and stole her sister. They must all be truly dark down to their bones.

Yet she is alive.

Confusion and agony can be saved for after the battle Hinoka decides. She pulls herself to her feet, using her naginata for leverage and throws herself back into the fight.

That woman is still her enemy.

Nothing has changed.

Nothing. 

-

The battle comes to an end as all the others before it. The Nohrian's retreat and Hoshido is victorious; their homeland is safe for another day. There is celebration in the hearts of the soldiers as they return to camp, Hinoka can see it in their eyes as they pass her by.

She remains on the battlefield a while longer.

The aftermath of war is just as ugly as war itself. It has calmed but is no less bloody. Death still sits stagnant in the air. In the eyes of the soldiers, the world expands from it's narrow focus on survival making the presence of that death impossible to ignore.

After the fight is done the battlefield becomes a graveyard. As horrific as walking amoung the dead is, it is the one place where peace meets the war.

Nohrian's and Hoshidan's gather their fallen brothers and sisters in silence. In this moment neither side seeks to provoke the other. While they are cautious of each other for the moment a temporary peace has bloomed. Both sides are mourning their dead. Monsters, soldiers, it does not matter. In this moment they are all human and all of them feel the loss.

Hinoka picks her way quietly around the dead. The eyes of their corpses stare lifelessly at her but she forces herself to draw her gaze across their faces and to meet that death head on. As a survivor she feels compelled to remember them but that is not why she does this. Hinoka does this to reassure herself that the people she loves are not among the fallen.

Selfish as it may be Hinoka cannot help but send thanks to the Dawn Dragon that her brother is not lying with the dead. Even if that means others had to die instead. She cannot bare to think of loosing her brother. Without him she does not know if she would be able to keep going.

What would she do if she met the lifeless gaze of his corpse?

She does not want to think of it.

This is not the only way to assure herself of Ryoma's survival, but for one person in particular this is the only way she can know for certain.

Hinoka finds no lingering lavender among the corpses.

Rather she finds it among the living.

The dragon knight stands among her dead comrades. A violet gaze meets Hinoka's own, and in that single moment the war feels impossibly far and all too close at the same time.

Hinoka feels weary down to her very soul.

“Hello princess” The dragon knight says, her voice subdued by the quiet grief in the air. “What a lovely surprise to find you here.”

“I could say the same to you, Princess Camilla.” Hinoka says back.

The Nohrian princess's eyes widen in surprise.

Hinoka has figured out the woman's identity shortly after the battle ended. The violet eyes and the lavender hair, those features were familiar though it took her time to remember why. To be fair politics has never interested her much, and she didn't have occasion to study the portraits of the Nohrian royalty.

Princess Camilla smiles but her grin does not feel happy. Her eyes are too cold, too empty, and the twist of her mouth is too cruel. “So you do know me? I had begun to wonder.”

With both of their identities out in the open like this, Hinoka has no idea what to say. Silence stretches between them like a tangible thread pulled tight with words they dare not speak. Knowing Princess Camilla's name and title only makes it more curious as to why she killed a fellow Nohrian to save an enemy.

If Hinoka could find the courage to voice such a question she would.

Why?

Hinoka hates that she wants to understand.

Why can it not simply be enough that they are enemies?

Why must she want to know more?

“I'm glad you aren't dead” Hinoka dares to say. She won't thank the other princess for saving her life, but she can offer this instead.

Princess Camilla's smile turns taunting. “You would rather have the pleasure of killing me yourself?”

“What? No! I'd rather you not have to die at all!” Hinoka insists.

“Is that so? Are you sure you should be telling me this? We are enemies after all?”

In all honesty she probably shouldn't, but they don't feel like enemies here. “In battle we are enemies. We aren't in battle right now”

Right now they are merely two soldiers standing in the center of a great tragedy. 

“No now I suppose you are right” Camilla concedes, “but tomorrow we will be enemies again.” 

Yet another tragedy is it not?

“Then tomorrow we will but enemies, but today I am glad you're alive.”

Princess Camilla laughs then. Her voice is delicate almost like a song but fractured by her mocking tone. “You really mean that don't you? What a peculiar think you are. When Nohr wins this war, I would rather like to keep you. Perhaps I could make you my pet.” 

Hinoka clenches her fists at her sides but restrains herself from attacking the princess for her comment if only out of respect for their surroundings. “Hoshido will not be defeated by the likes of Nohr.”

“We shall see dear” Princess Camilla drawls as she turns her back and walks away. Hinoka is about to do the same when the other princess pauses and looks over her shoulder. “For what it's worth, I am also glad you aren't dead. It would be a shame if we were unable to finish out battle.”

As the princess begins walking again Hinoka calls out to her “I'm alive because of you.”

Camilla's pace falters but she does not turn again.

Nothing has changed.

Hinoka has to believe that.

-

Despite Hinoka's resolve this is not the last time she finds herself in the company of Princess Camilla.

During the day they clash in the sky as enemies desperate to gain the upper hand. They lash out at each other and hold nothing back. Snippets of stolen conversation by moonlight changes nothing. They remain enemies. Nothing more.

However as dusk falls the two princesses find each other not in violence, but as two people broken by war trying to fix their shattered pieces. They speak in quiet whispers of things untouched by death and war.

The more they talk the more Hinoka learns.

The more she learns the more questions she has.

Will there ever be a day she is satisfied?

Will she ever truly understand the Nohrian princess?

Probably not.

-

Months have passed since Hinoka joined the battlefield. Homesickness has faded from her heart on all but the lonliest of days. She has begun to see remarkable improvement in her fighting skill, and although she has yet to best her brother, Ryoma has begun to trust her with more responsibility as a solider.

Hinoka has been fighting alonside the other sky knights for some time.

Ryoma has now placed her as the head of her own unit. 

She smiles and thanks him while in his presence, but the moment she is alone Hinoka breaks down into tears.

This is what she wanted. She wanted a chance to prove herself to her brother, to her country, and to herself. She wanted to protect the people close to her, but being directly responsible for actual lives terrifies her. All it would take is one mistake, one bad call, and people will die. Those deaths on her hands.

This is what she wanted.

Isn't it?

That night she climbs onto the back of her pegasus and flies off into the dark sky. It's irresponsible, she knows, especially now that she holds a minor position of authority. Nohr could attack at any moment, but she needs space to think. Just for a little while.

Her pegasus carries her to the lake where she and Camilla battled for the first time. The ground is still marked by the wyverns claws but grass has started to fill in the exposed dirt. Eventually it will look as if nothing happened here at all.

It is a comforting thought.

One day this war will be over and everything marked by it will be given time to heal.

One day.

Hinoka slides off the saddle and goes about removing it for the time being. She isn't the only one who should get a moment of rest. He shakes his wings, a few feathers falling loose, and walks to the water to drink. Hinoka follows, keeping a hand on his white coat.

The stars look beautiful reflected in the lake.

Her gaze falls to her reflection. Hinoka has changed a lot. Her muscles are stronger, and she's even grown a little taller. She has taken to keeping her hair cut short for convenience. What would Azura say if she saw her sister now?

“I'm scared.” Hinoka admits to the water, trying to imagine she can see Azura's reflection in the water at her side. Azura loved water. She often walked right into lakes and rivers without care for her clothes. There was always this peace and serenity that followed her as she stood at the center of the ripples. 

“I wish you were here. I miss you so much Azura, and I don't know how to get you back. I know you must be alive, I know it, but I don't know how to find you.”

On the darkest days Hinoka's belief that her sister is alive wavers. She wonders if the Nohrian's executed her days after her capture or if she fell to their torture. Without hope of rescuing Azura, Hinoka doesn't have much else to fight for. On those dark days even getting out of bed feels impossible.

“I miss your voice. I miss everything about you.Your kind eyes, your hair...” she laughs wetly, and rubs at the tears in her eyes. “I cut my hair. I wonder if you'll think it suits me? Maybe when you're home again I'll let it grow out like I used to.”

There is so much about the future that is uncertain.

“I don't want people to die because of me.”

In the end there is little choice. People will die whether she wants them to or not, sometimes because of her actions, sometimes because of her decisions. That is the reality; the consequence of the choices she's made.

“This is what I wanted.”

This is what she wants.

“Right?”

Isn't it.?

A shadow passes overhead and Hinoka watches the reflection of a black wyvern cross the sky. Her first instinct is to jump into a battle stance but she recognizes the dragon having faced her in battle so very often.

Camilla lands her wyvern with more grace than she did the last time they were here together. She doesn't look surprised to see Hinoka. “Fancy meeting you here, princess of Hoshido” Camilla says as she slips off her dragons back and crosses the space between them.

“What are you doing here?” Hinoka asks, hoping her voice comes out strong even if she feels anything but.

“I thought I might enjoy such a beautiful night with a flight, and if I happened upon a certain red haired princess it would have been rude not to say hello wouldn't it?”

Hinoka cannot tell for certain if she is being mocked or not. “Could you be serious for once?”

“What makes you think I'm not being serious?”

Because she can't be. They don't live in a world where they can meet like old friends anywhere but the battlefield. “Forget it.”

Princess Camilla takes a place at Hinoka's side, right where Hinoka images Azura would be standing. Fresh tears fill her eyes, blurring her vision, though she struggles not to let them fall lest she appear weak.

“Princess are you crying?”

“Of course not!” Hinoka insists, even if it's obvious she's lying. “I'm fine.”

Camilla, though clearly not convinced by such stellar acting, doesn't push. “If you insists” she says and lowers herself to sit on the ground as if all were right in the world.

Hinoka takes a moment to get her tears under control before she too sits down in the damp grass. 

Together they bask in silence for several minutes before Camilla speaks again. “My father used to sit with me like this” she whispers, a distant look in her eyes. Her voice is so soft Hinoka wonders if the other princess meant it to be audible at all. “He used to play with Xander and I when we were children. He used to laugh. He used to smile. Then one day he stopped and I don't know why.”

It's strange to imagine the king of Nohr, the man responsible for so much death, playing carefree with his children. Failing to conjure such an image, Hinoka stays quiet and simply listens.

“After mother died, he was different. He stopped praising Leo for his studies, stopped spending time with Corrin, and he stopped reading to Elise. Instead he shouted at Xander when he was less than perfect and sometimes for no reason at all. He started to frighten me then.”

Hinoka looks at Camilla. The princess looks haunted, her empty gaze starring lifelessly out across the water as if seeing things that are not there. It's the most vulnerable and real Hinoka can ever recall seeing her.

“Sometimes I wonder if he is the same man at all.” Camilla laughs a broken note. Nothing about this story is funny. “I have always protected my siblings but as a child I never thought I would have to do so from our own father. Perhaps if mother never died I wouldn't need to. Perhaps if Xander and I could be the children he wanted... I don't know, but I miss my father. I miss the man he used to be, and sometimes I almost remember who that was.”

“Now I am only left with the man who leaves bruises on the people he was meant to love.”

Hinoka sucks in a sharp breath, too loud in the quiet of Camilla's whispered confession. Did King Garon hurt his own children?

“Never Corrin, Leo, or Elise. My very precious brothers and sisters, I would kill him myself if he dared to try. It is a burden which fell to Xander and I, to offer up ourselves in their place.”

The ferocity in Camilla's voice is reminiscent of how she behaves in battle. In quiet moments she is more than the anger which carries her through a fight, but at times that anger still shines through. She sees the cruelty in the cracks of Camilla's smile.

Hinoka is at a loss for words. How does someone respond to something like this? She may not have many memories of her own father before he died, but what she does remember are happy times in his company. She cannot imagine him ding anything like Camilla is implying.

What sort of father hurts his own children?

“Camilla I-”

“Don't pity me princess.” She snaps, snarling like a caged animal. “Don't you dare feel sorry for me.”

Hinoka swallows whatever apologies might have escaped her lips. “Why did you tell me this?”

Camilla looks at her then. Her eyes are fierce, full of both anguish and fire. It's a look that makes Hinoka want to reach for her naginata. “Beautiful women shouldn't cry princess. It doesn't suit you.” It all Camilla has to say.

With that she gets up and walks back to her wyvern. In the next moment she is gone, having left as quickly as she can arrived.

Hinoka is left sitting by the lake with a head full of questions and no one to answer them.

It has always been easy for Hinoka to label Nohr the monsters. They invaded her home without warning and with no provoking on Hoshido's part. They marched with their black armor, their dark magic, and their creatures conjured from death. Everything about the invaders screamed evil.

They were monsters.

They are.

Now Hinoka wonders if the monsters she see's in them, are the same monsters Nohr sees in it's own people? Are all Nohrian's as evil as she thought? Is that why Camilla told her this?

Hinoka wants to understand Camilla.

Maybe she isn't the only one.

Maybe Camilla too wants to be understood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be perfectly honest I wasn't expecting anyone to actually read this. There haven't been a lot of hits but I was still surprised to see any at all. So thanks, I really hope you liked this chapter.
> 
> Next Chapter 03/27/19


	3. An Unlikely Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Though Hinoka tries, she cannot stay away from the alluring princess of Nohr. As her relationship with Camilla blossoms into friendship, she begins to wonder if this war between Hoshido and Nohr can be solved without fighting.  
> By the time she realizes just how important Camilla is to her, Hinoka might have missed her chance to be something more than her enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't imagine a universe where Hinoka and Camilla are able to maintain a friendship without some bumps and bruises along the way. This chapter is a very large bump in the road to the eventually happy ending.

Over the next few weeks Hinoka visits the lake as often as she dares, however she has yet to see Camilla again. The princess has been suspiciously absent from battle as well. Hinoka tries not to let that worry her.

After several days have passed she starts to wonder if Camilla ever plans on returning.

This is the last night Hinoka promises herself as she once more flies to the lake, if Camilla isn't there then she won't come back again. 

Her worries it would seem were for naught as tonight a familiar figure is there by the lakeside. As Hinoka lands she see's Camilla relaxing against the deep amethyst scales of her wyvern. Camilla watches the stars while her dragon is curled protectively around her, emitting a continuous low rumble like the purring of a cat.

Seeing Camilla safe and sound brings a relieved smile to Hinoka's face. “Camilla!” She calls, and only smiles wider when Camilla turns to look in her direction. Hinoka cannot dismount her pegasus fast enough, nearly stumbling in her haste. “I'm glad your here, I was starting to worry I'd never see you again.”

Camilla's eyes widen, startled to hear such a thing but the surprise soon is replaced by the contented smile she wore before. “Oh? Have you come to enjoy our talks then?”

“I... I suppose I do. Don't you?” Hinoka asks, trying not to feel self conscious.

“I am here aren't I?”

It isn't a yes.

It's not a no either.

“Come sit with me” Camilla offers, patting the ground beside her.

There is more than enough room for Hinoka to sit by Camilla against the broad body of her wyvern, however it would require her to lean against the creature or at the very least be in close proximity. After seeing the damage the wyvern can do, Hinoka is wary to get closer. “Are you sure?”

“She won't bite” Camilla promises, holding out a hand to Hinoka. “Although I don't promise I won't.”

Cautiously Hinoka fits her hand in Camilla's. She is guided to the ground, close enough to Camilla that they touch from shoulder to hip, but Hinoka is too focused on watching the wyvern for signs of discomfort to notice.

“You can pet her if you like” Camilla offers, “as long as she doesn't see you as a threat to me she won't mind.”

While it doesn't seem likely that this is all some ploy to get her eaten by a ferocious beast, Hinoka doesn't dare. Camilla doesn't give her much choice however. She threads their fingers together pressing the palm of her hand against the back of Hinoka', Camilla then lifts their joined hands to the wyvern's side, gently guiding Hinoka's hand to run along the scales.

Hinoka jumps when the wyevern starts up her rumbling purr again. The dragon's scales are pleasantly warm, warmer than Hinoka would have expected, and she soon relaxes.

“See she likes you just fine” Camilla says, just on the right side of sounding smug.

Hinoka turns in her direction, words dying in her throat as she notices how close they are to each other. She coughs and turns away. “I can't imagine flying a dragon” she confesses over the pounding of her heart. “I thought flying a pegasus was terrifying at first, but I can't imagine how frightening it must be to ride something that could eat me.”

Camilla always looks so confident perched on the wyvern's back, like she was born to fly a dragon. Always poised and calm, with the audacity to make it look effortless. Hinoka has to respect her for that if nothing else.

“Does flying scare you?” Camilla asks.

“Only at first. I used to worry I'd fall, or I'd do something to make my pegasus knock me off. Fortunately he never did.” Hinoka stresses that her fear was only temporary, however if she had been faced with a dragon when she was first learning to fly, Hinoka isn't sure she would have even been brave enough to try.

“Then why fly at all? I'm sure you would be just as fierce a warrior on the ground.”

Sadness strikes Hinoka silent for a moment as she debates whether or not she wants to share the story. She doesn't want to talk about Azura, not to someone who is associated with the party responsible for her capture. It feels like a betrayal, but she remembers what Camilla told her the last time they spoke, and she thinks maybe she can afford a moment of vulnerability.

“I have an older sister named Azura. She flies a pegasus, the best in all of Hoshido in fact. When I was young I wanted to be exactly like her.”

Camilla looks away. She must already suspect how this story ends. “What happened to her?”

“She was taken as a prisoner of war” Hinoka says, trying her damnedest to keep the emotion out of her voice, “that's why I'm fighting. I want to find her, and bring her home.”

“A prisoner of war... so taken by us then?”

Slowly Hinoka nods.

Camilla turns her gaze to the sky and is quiet. Hinoka wants to know if Camilla knows anything about Azura, and though the question burns on her tongue she won't ask. Not now. Not when whatever is between them is still so fragile and new. They may have found some common ground, but Camilla is not her ally. “Why did you become a dragon knight?” Hinoka asks instead, carefully turning conversation away from darker subjects.

“Do you really want to know? I suppose it is only fair I tell you, but it isn't that interesting a story.”

“You don't have to say if you don't want to.”

“No, it's fine” Camilla says, though her tone is a little clipped, almost defensive, “I became a dragon knight simply because I was told I couldn't do it. Most dragon riders are men, and those men were convinced a delicate princess like myself wouldn't be able to master a wyvern.”

It's almost comical to think anyone could look at Camilla and think she couldn't handle flying. Hinoka can't imagine it. “You proved them wrong right?”

“In a way” she answers cryptically, “It doesn't matter how well I can fly, most dragon knights still refuse to take me seriously. They will always see me as a woman. I will always be nothing more than a pretty princess to them.”

Hinoka does understand that feeling. No one has ever tried to bar her from flying for being a woman, but she knows how it feels to be treated like a princess and nothing more. It's how she felt when she first decided she would become a soldier, like no one took her seriously. “Is that why you cut your hair short?”

Camilla narrows her eyes at Hinoka. “Perhaps. Is that why you cut your hair short?”

“I didn't mean to offend.”

“You didn't offend me.”

Hinoka isn't sure about that. “I cut my hair because it was getting in my way” she offers like an olive branch, “My sister grew her hair long which is why I grew mine out but it always annoyed me. I cut it a few days after we met actually. I was frustrated with it so I just cut it all off.”

“So you did it to copy me.”

“I... That's not it at all!”

Camilla laughs and Hinoka realizes she was just being teased. She flushes red but she enjoys Camilla's laugh too much to mind. “Well I will admit I cut my hair to match the men. I thought perhaps if I looked like they did and acted like them they would respect me more. I cut my hair, started binding my chest, wearing men's clothes, and anything else I could think of to look more masculine.”

“Did that help?”

“It did but I don't think they will ever see me as one of them.”

“Do you ever regret it? I mean, I like how my hair looks now but I regretted it the moment I cut it.”

Camilla looks away, biting her bottom lip as she watches the sky. She is quiet for a moment before answering. “I don't regret how I look on the outside. Rather I regret that I allowed someone's opinion of me affect me so much that I was compelled to change my outside.”

While Camilla stares at the stars with a single minded focus, Hinoka allows herself to admires the princesses features. She tries to imagine what Camilla would look like with long hair. Would it be curly? Her hair is too short to tell right now but it does appear to curl a bit at the edges.

“I bet you would look really pretty with long hair” Hinoka muses absently. The moment the words leave her lips she wishes she could take them back, especially when Camilla turns to look at her. She flushes to the tips of her ears. “I didn't mean to say that out loud.”

Camilla stares at her for a moment longer like she is trying to parse whether or not Hinoka is being truthful. Eventually her frown gives way to a genuine smile. “Well I think you are quite cute with short hair.” She says.

In an effort to escape her embarrassment Hinoka hides her face in her hands, but doing so only makes Camilla laugh.

It's an absolutely beautiful laugh.

-

The next day Camilla and Hinoka cross blades on the battlefield, but Hinoka finds her heart isn't in the fight. She's been unconsciously leading her unit away from Camilla, and when they do engage in combat Hinoka is inclined to face Camilla on her own. Whether she means to protect Camilla from her unit, or her unit from Camilla is unclear.

Under the clash of naginata against battle ax all Hinoka can think of is the princesses laugh and how her eyes crinkle in the corners when she smiles a genuine smile. During battle she only gets to see Camilla's cruel smirk or taunting laughter, and that makes her ache for their secret meetings where they are free from the expectations of war.

It makes Hinoka wonder why they have to fight at all.

-

Days after the battle has ended the thought continues to torment Hinoka. Why must Nohr fight Hoshido? Why must they be enemies? If they can find peace off the battlefield why can't they simply choose to stop fighting? When she first began this tentative friendship with Camilla Hinoka didn't dare let herself think it, but now that she has given such thoughts a voice she cannot let them go.

Camilla could be her ally. They don't need to be enemies. Perhaps together they could put an end to this war once and for all.

The thought drives her to distraction, enough that Ryoma has taken notice. He has been trying to speak with her all day but she has been decisively avoiding him. Fortunately Hinoka is saved from having to answer his questions as they are once more called to defend the border.

She needs to focus. Hinoka tells this to herself as she and her unit fly toward the battlefield. She cannot afford to be distracted, it could get her killed, or worse get someone else killed. Thinking of her sister, her reason for fighting, doesn't help her much.

Fighting has done nothing to bring her closer to freeing Azura, but perhaps if she allied herself with Camilla she finally could.

A sky knight in Hinoka's unit shouts to get her attention, but Hinoka is too lost in thought to react quick enough to the warning.

All it takes is one mistake.

One moment she is flying.

She didn't see the archers.

The next she is falling through the sky.

She and her pegasus hit the ground hard. Hinoka is thrown completely off the saddle and the impact leaves her ears ringing. A numb sort of pain stabs her in the chest and spreads to her limbs as the wind is knocked completely out of her.

Hinoka is left starring up at the sky where her unit is attempting to reach her, but the enemy archers keep them away. Slowly breath returns to her but each inhale pains her and every exhale is exhausting.

Around her the battle rages. It will not give her time to properly catch her breath. Hinoka grips her Naginata with numb fingers, using it to leverage herself back to her feet. Her legs are unwilling to cooperate and though she stumbles she manages to make her way to her pegasus' side.

Blood is matting the white coat of her peagsus as he lies wounded in the dirt. An arrow has pierced his wing and another has embedded itself deep in his back leg. The landing probably did him no favors, he likely is unable to move, but fortunately her dear friend is still alive.

“You're okay, I won't let anyone hurt you” Hinoka promises as she strokes one hand along his coat. She isn't sure she can keep such a promise but she will die before giving up on him. She will not leave him here to perish alone.

Having found her resolve Hinoka stands her ground and fends off any Nohrian who dares to approach them. Sluggish as she may be Hinoka cuts down every enemy that comes close. She has the advantage of reach with her naginata, so long as she doesn't face anyone with an ax she should be fine until the battle is over, or her unit is able to assist her.

Unfortunately she could not have picked a worse place to be. She has landed far too close to the enemy and too far from her allies.

The chaos of the battle prevents Hinoka from hearing an approaching paladin until he has come into her line of sight. She isn't certain she has the strength to win a battle against a mounted opponent, and all hope drains from her when she see's who it is that has come to face her.

Prince Xander. His pure black horse has become almost as familiar to her as Camilla's wyvern.

Hinoka has yet to fight Xander on her own but she has seen him fight from the air. She doubts that she can defeat him, not when she can hardly stand. Even her brother has yet to best him in battle. Still she stands tall and unyielding.

She will not run away.

From above a dragon roars. The force of the dragon's wings beating furiously at the air nearly knocks Hinoka to the ground as Princess Camilla drops into the space between Hinoka and Xander, forcing the prince to come to an abrupt halt.

The battle seems to still around them.

Hinoka cannot see her friends face from here, but she can see the merciless grip she has on her ax and the tightness of her shoulders as she stares down at her brother.

Neither sibling speaks, rather they hold each others gaze and that alone seems to be enough.

Prince Xander inclines his head in a brief nod, then his eyes drift over to Hinoka. A moment later he charges back into battle, ignoring her completely.

Hinoka gazes at Camilla in utter disbelief. This is the second time Camilla has saved her, and Hinoka doesn't understand why. Nothing was supposed to change between them, what could Camilla have been thinking defending a Hoshidan princess from her brother of all people?

“Be careful princess. This war is more treacherous than you could possibly imagine.” Camilla says before she and her dragon take flight.

As Camilla flies away Hinoka can only stare and silently wonder what just happened.

Moment's later Hinoka's unit of Sky Knight's descend around her, and with them a shrine maiden. “Princess! Are you alright, have you been hurt?”

Hinoka blinks blearily at her unit. “No I'm fine... but my pegasus was injured.”

The sky knights surround her, effortlessly defending their princess from harm while the shrine maiden goes about healing her pegasus. Meanwhile Hinoka takes a moment to simply breathe. It seems that just when Hinoka thinks she understands Camilla, she does something that changes everything she thought she knew.

For once Hinoka finds she is less confused by Camilla and more confused by her brother. Why would Xander so easily turn away? If he was whiling to spare the life of a Hoshidan princess then maybe there is hope for a peace after all.

There has to be a way to end this war without fighting.

-

Politics has never been one of Hinoka's strong suits. It's something she thinks is more suited to her brother Ryoma. It's not that she never made an effort to learn, it's just doesn't stick in her head for all that long. She isn't sure what goes into ending a war, but she remains positive that if she can make Camilla her ally they will find a way.

There isn't any reason that Hinoka can think for Camilla to refuse. Camilla has saved her life twice, she wouldn't do so if she truly hated Hoshido right? Ending the war would have benefits to both their nations. From where Hinoka is standing it's a win win for both sides.

If the war ends then perhaps Hinoka can mean something more to Camilla than an unlikely friend and occasional enemy. It's something she didn't know she wanted until the possibility of it didn't seem so impossible anymore.

Waiting for nightfall Hinoka checks in on her pegasus, visits a healer about some lingering pain in her chest, and is eventually reprimanded by Ryoma for being careless. By the time he is done scolding her it is late enough that she should be able to sneak away unnoticed.

However as she attempts her escape she is caught by a man in her unit. “Princess, where are you going?”

Hinoka yelps as the unexpected voice startles her. “Um... I wanted to get some fresh air?”

The man, his name is Subaki and he is one of the most talented men Hinoka has ever met, doesn't seem convinced by her words but he also doesn't call her out on her lie. “Are you sure you should be flying your pegasus? He was quite injured in that last battle.”

Hinoka's heart falls. “I didn't even think about that...” The shrine maiden assured Hinoka her pegasus would be fine, but she did warn her to take it easy on him as much as possible for the next few days. In her haste to see Camilla she had completely forgotten.

“You should be careful to consider the condition of your pegasus. It won't do for you to injure him further.” Despite the kind smile on his face, Hinoka feels oddly like she is being lectured by her brother again, “here, take my pegasus.”

“What? Are you sure?”

“I'm sure. You shouldn't keep whomever you've been sneaking off to meet waiting. Just bring her back in one piece.”

Hinoka feels her cheeks heat. She honestly thought no one had noticed her sneaking off! “I um... I can explain that.”

“No need, just stay safe princess.”

“Thank you Subaki” Hinoka tells him sincerely, “I won't forget your kindness.”

“It is my honor to serve the royal family in whatever manner available to me.” Subaki bows his head to her before he turns around and walks away.

-

 

Due to the delay, Hinoka worries that Camilla might already have already left, so she pushes Subaki's pegasus to fly faster than she normally would. Fortunately she Subaki's pegasus, doesn't seem to mind. She has clearly been well trained and cared for, and given her rider one would expect nothing less.

Approaching the lake Hinoka is immediately relieved to find Camilla is indeed waiting with her wyvern. 

“Princess, you're looking better than when I last saw you.” Camilla comments idly as she drags her gaze quickly up and down Hinoka's form.

“Camilla, do you ever wish we didn't have to fight?” Hinoka asks, completely skipping over pleasantries. She's had a long day.

To Hinoka's shock and utter horror Camilla looks her right in the eye and says “no.”

What?

The world stops spinning as Hinoka's thoughts all come to a grinding halt. She never thought Camilla would dismiss her thoughts so easily and without hesitation, it's completely thrown her off balance. Had she been reading the situation all wrong? Maybe Camilla doesn't care for Hinoka as much as she had assumed.

Then why did Camilla risk her life to save her? “So you really want to destroy Hoshido then? My home? If that's true why haven't you killed me yet!? You've had plenty of opportunities!”

Camilla rolls her eyes. “Don't be so dramatic I didn't say that.”

“Really? Because that's what it sounds like you were saying.”

“I am a soldier, a dragon knight of Nohr. Fighting and killing is something I am good at, and I enjoy it. Cutting down my enemies means my siblings will be safe from harm and nothing in life brings me more joy. Who my enemy is means little to me. If there is a threat to my family then I will eradicate it, that is all. It's nothing personal really.”

All at once Hinoka feels foolish for even hoping. She knows Camilla, maybe not as well as she wants to, but she knows the woman has a cruel streak that cuts to the heart of her. “What about me? I'm a princess of Hoshido, aren't I a threat?”

“Frankly dear I hardly think you are a threat to anyone. Don't get me wrong, I've seen you fight and you are truly a worthy opponent but there isn't a bone in your body that enjoys conflict. You would much rather we all get along.”

“I'm not a child” Hinoka snaps.

Camilla sighs, “No dear you are not.”

Hinoka hates that she can feel tears prickling at her eyes from both anger and humiliation. “If this is how you feel then perhaps we shouldn't meet anymore. It would be better if we just stayed enemies.”

As she turns to walk away, Camilla calls out after her. “Hinoka I wish with all my heart that you and I did not have to fight opposite sides of a pointless war.”

Will Camilla ever say anything that makes sense? Hinoka turns back around and begins to yell, “then why are we fighting at all? There must be some way to end this war without it! If you do not wish to be my enemy then don't!”

“It isn't that easy!” Camilla shouts back, her composure beginning to crumble. Her voice echoes in the startled silence that follows her words. She sighs then, so incredibly weary, weary enough to sleep for a thousand lifetimes and still be tired. “You told me you were fighting for your sister yes? Well you aren't the only one with a sister in danger.”

“What do you mean?”

“Does it even matter?” Camilla asks. Her voice uncharacteristically soft, defeated almost.

“It matters to me.”

Camilla meets her gaze, her eyes searching for something in Hinoka's expression. “My sister Corrin is being kept in a fortress, isolated from the world by my father. Even if I disagree with the reasons for this war, even if my brother disagrees, we cannot simply drop arms and refuse to fight. Our sister would surly die if we did.”

It isn't what Hinoka had been expecting to hear. “King Garon is holding his own child hostage to blackmail you and Prince Xander? What sort of man could do something so awful?”

Immediately Hinoka knows it was the wrong thing to say. Camilla's eyes narrow and her hands clench into fists at her sides. In a moment she has gone from the weary sister to the vicious princess of Nohr. “Do not speak about him like he is a monster. He is my father. I won't stand for it.”

“Camilla you told me he frightened you.”

“I know what I told you, but it doesn't concern you! I can handle my father!”

Getting angry is the worst possibly response, but Hinoka feels it bubble in her anyway. She wishes she could be more like Ryoma, calm and collected, but that just isn't who she is. The patience has burned out of her by the stress of the day.

“I want to help you!” Hinoka screams right back, “you're so impossible and stubborn! Can't you see that all I want is to help!?”

“I never asked for your help!”

“Well I want to! Did it ever occur to you that asking for help doesn't have to be a bad thing, that it might even be exactly what you need!?”

Camilla laughs, but it isn't her usual laugh. It echoes ominously in the dark. It's the kind of broken and cruel laughter born from a woman who wants to carve the sound into flesh and bone. “What could you possibly do? You are a naive princess chasing after a sister who in all likelihood died alone in a dark prison!”

Hinoka's breath catches in her throat. The tears she's been holding back finally spill down her cheeks.

No.

It's a lie.

It has to be.

Azura is strong. She has to be alive, not because Hinoka cannot bare to live without her, but because she is Azura, the eldest princess of Hoshido, and she can survive anything.

How could Camilla say such a thing to her? Hinoka trusted her, and the moment it was convenient she used those quiet confessions shared in the dark against her. How could she? How dare she! “No she's alive! Azura is alive I know she is!”

Camilla doesn't even appear guilty for having said such a terrible thing.

How could she?

“Princess if you don't want to be called a child then you should stop acting like one.”

“Well at least I'm doing something! What have you done for your sister!?” Hinoka screams. She regrets the words as soon as they leave her mouth, but she can't take them back. She doesn't even mean what she said, she just wanted to make Camilla hurt.

Camilla's eyes go dark. She marches across he space between them and as soon as she is close enough she grabs the front of Hinoka's tunic and yanks her closer. Hinoka maintains eye contact, defiant. Camilla draws her arm back, her fingers clenched into a fist.

Neither of them say anything, the silence filled with their breathing alone. After a moment Camilla drops her arm and shoves Hinoka roughly away. “You don't know a thing about my family.” She growls, sending an unpleasant shiver down Hinoka's spine, “you have no idea the lengths I have gone to protect them.”

“Then don't presume to know a thing about mine.” Hinoka snaps.

Camilla looks away but doesn't reply. She crosses her arms over her chest, her fingers gripping her sleeves so tightly that her knuckles have turned white. “I won't apologize for what I said, but for what it's worth I am sorry about your sister.

“Azura is alive. I don't care what you think, and your apology means nothing to me.”

Hinoka may feel guilty for what she said, but she can't forgive Camilla so easily. She started all of this, but Hinoka supposes some blame also lies with her. Camilla might have lashed out first, but Hinoka shouldn't have retaliated.

What a mess.

“If my words means nothing, then why are you still here?” Camilla asks. Her posture has not relaxed but her voice is softer now.

“Maybe I just enjoy the night air.”

“You could enjoy it anywhere.”

“Well why should I have to leave? I found the lake first! You're the one who came crashing into it!” Hinoka snaps, already back to shouting once more. She can't help it, Camilla just gets under her skin like no one else.

Camilla opens her mouth like she might shout back but she hesitates. Her expression softens and out of the blue she begins to laugh. Not her battlefield cruel and mocking laugh, not even her delicate sweet laugh that drives Hinoka to distraction. It's full bodied, and absolutely wonderful in it's inelegance.

The sudden laughter takes Hinoka off guard. She had expected another argument, perhaps more yelling, but once again Camilla has managed to completely destroy her expectations.

Going over their conversation Hinoka supposes it is rather silly. There isn't anything funny about the awful things they shouted at each other, but they so quickly devolved into petty bickering over something as inconsequential as who found the lake first.

Before she can stop herself Hinoka is laughing too.

Nothing between them is fixed. Their countries are still at war with no end in sight. Azura is still missing and Camilla's sister Corrin is apparently trapped with no hope of rescue. They can't seem to agree on how best to fix the problem, and in a matter of minutes they have broken the trust it took months of quiet conversation to build.

Their situation is truly hopeless isn't it?

Hinoka's laughter quickly turns to quiet sobbing. Nothing is ever going to change is it? Nohr and Hoshido will always be enemies. She and Camilla will never get a chance to be together, neither as friends nor anything more than that.

Camilla goes quiet and carefully folds Hinoka into her arms.

Why can't they stay like this?

If not for this war maybe they could.

“Do you think... In another life do you think we could be something more than what we are?” Hinoka asks, her voice rough from screaming and from crying. She's almost afraid to hear the answer.

Camilla doesn't respond. Instead she pulls away, taking her warmth with her. Hinoka wants to reach out and pull her close again. She wishes she could hold onto her and never let go. Fresh tears gather in her eyes, and Camilla cups her cheek in one hand and wipes the tears away with her thumb.

In place of words Camilla simply lifts one of Hinoka's hands to her mouth and places a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

It breaks her heart more than anything she could have ever said.

“I'm glad you're alive Hinoka” Camilla whispers.

It feels an awful lot like a goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The conversation Hinoka has with Subaki wasn't in my original outline. I added it last minute for fun and because it worked better for that transition. As for why I picked Subaki for the scene, he's really the only other Sky Knight I could choose.
> 
> Final Chapter: 04/03/19


	4. Something Beyond War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year of defending the border has taken it's toll on Hinoka. Friends have fallen, scars have marked her flesh, but she still has hope. One day the war will end, and with the arrival of a messenger that day might have finally come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a lot of jumps in this chapter.

A year crawls by. Hinoka's daily routine makes the days bleed together to the point that she feels no time at all has passed while also leaving her feeling aged beyond her years.

Since beginning her journey, Hinoka has grown a lot. Her skill with a naginata has improved, and she has been instrumental in many decisive battles. At last she feels as though her presence has made a difference in the war. At last she has begun to recognize the progress she has made as a solider.

War has taken it's toll on both her body and her soul.

Friends have fallen in battle, Hinoka herself had watched many of them die right before her eyes. She has nearly lost her own life countless time but she still stands due to the sacrifice of others. The burden of those lives weigh heavily on her shoulders but she does not allow sorrow to overtake her. She still has hope.

Callouses roughen her hands, and scars mark their tragic tale into her skin. Her muscles have grown strong after constant battles. Experience has made her wiser. 

As much as she has accomplished, Hinoka is still no closer to finding Azura. 

Inevitably the alluring princess Camilla too has slipped beyond her reach.

After their argument by the lakeside, nightly visits with the princess became more and more scarce, the time between each visit growing longer until the day came that Hinoka saw Camilla for the last time. While they continue to meet as enemies in battle, those precious moments in the night have gone.

Every glimpse of Camilla on her wyvern breaks Hinoka's heart but this was always going to be their fate. It is simply easier this way. The constant reminder of who they are and who they could have been was far too great a burden when added to the strain of war.

Hinoka has come to resent this damn war for more than taking her family. 

One day this fighting will be over, but when trapped in the middle of that undetermined length of time the end seems impossibly far away.

-

Training with Ryoma at dawn has over time become a friendly sparring session more so than an actual lesson in combat, even if there is much Hinoka can still learn from him. They have both come to enjoy this time as one of the growing rarer occasions that they can speak freely and simply spend time together. Still Hinoka has yet to beat him, but that doesn't upset her anymore. She knows her worth as a warrior and she doesn't need to best her brother to know that she is strong. She enjoys the challenge facing Ryoma presents more so than she desires to win.

One day she will surpass him, but until then there is much to learn. Hinoka is in no rush to get to that point. 

Recently Nohr has been suspiciously quiet. There have been no battles for the past two weeks with little explanation. It leaves many of the Hoshidan army wary, but it also leaves hundreds of soldiers with more free time than they are used to, and thus this morning's sparring session between the prince and princess has become something of a public affair as many of the soldiers have gathered around to spectate. A battle between their serious prince and the brash princess offers great entertainment, and a momentary distraction from the suspense in the air.

Given the large audience both Hinoka and Ryoma are putting on a show more than they are actually sparring. They attack with more flair than is necessary or wise, and they take hits with more drama than is realistic. It's like dancing in that way, but the soldiers seem to enjoy the theatrics. The Hoshidan army hasn't had much to celebrate lately. Hinoka is more than whiling to risk looking foolish if it means the soldiers get a moment to smile and cheer.

Hinoka twists and lands a powerful blow. The gathered sky knights unit cheer for her.

On the next strike Ryoma expertly counters. The Samurai who work closely with him shout in support.

It is easy to loose herself in the jovial atmosphere, however Hinoka finds she and Ryoma are drawn out of the moment by a shout. The sparring session ceases as a soldier pushes his way through the crowd. “Your Highness!” The soldier calls though the man is clearly out of breath, “your highness I have important news. It seems King Garon of Nohr has passed away.”

The camp goes silent.

Could it be true?

Does this mean the war is finally over?

As the news settles in, murmurs break out among the soldiers. Hinoka loses her grip on her naginata and she lets it fall to the ground. Could it really be this asy? King Garon simply dying? Hinoka doesn't dare hope. This could just as easily lead to further fighting. Prince Xander could take up arms in his father's name, or Nohr could assume assassination and cry out for revenge. 

“Let's not jump to conclusion” Ryoma advises, projecting his voice for everyone to hear, “this will no doubt affect the war between Hoshido and Nohr but only time will tell if that effect is positive or negative. For now we must remain cautious.”

Ryoma looks at Hinoka, and a small smile graces his features. It's the first time she's seen him openly smile in a long time. “Still, I am hopeful. Perhaps soon our land will know peace once more.”

Cautious optimism fills the hearts of the gathered soldiers. Hinoka hates to celebrate a man's death, but she cannot stop the way her heart pounds with joy. Maybe now they can finally go home. Maybe this is how the war ends.

-

Within the next few days Nohr retreats from the border and an official cease fire is declared. Hoshidan soldier's remain stationed at the border as a precaution, but both Hinoka and her brother return home.

Seeing the castle again after so long feels like a dream come true. Hinoka can hardly believe she's here and part of her worries she'll wake up at any moment. 

Dream or reality, Hinoka decides it doesn't matter the moment she see's her mother again. If she is dreaming she never wants to wake up.

Queen Mikoto cries when she sees them.

Hinoka cries when she see's her too.

-

Amazingly the castle has hardly changed. Hinoka is older and taller but the places she loved are still there. The memories of her childhood remain strong within the castle halls. Even her room is exactly as she left it, not a spot of dust nor a single thing out of place.

The cherry blossoms bloom just as beautiful as the last time she saw them.

Although unlike the stone walls of the castle, some things have changed namely Hinoka's remaining siblings. Sakura it seems has started training to be a shrine maiden, and she excitedly told her older sister all about it the moment she had the opportunity. Hinoka hangs onto every detail even though it pains her to know she missed out on such an important part of Sakura's life. 

In contrast Takumi has no interest in speaking to her.

Hinoka doesn't exactly blame him. Azura leaving had been one of the most difficult experiences of Hinoka's life, one she would wish on anyone, and yet she forced Takumi to live it twice. He has a right to be angry with her. Hinoka didn't even say goodbye when she left. The silence between them hurts, and Hinoka wants to bridge it but she isn't exactly sure how. 

However, an opportunity to do just that presents itself late one night as Hinoka wanders the silent castle seeking out a moment of peace in the quiet dark. 

She finds her brother in the empty training grounds. He doesn't notice her right away and Hinoka takes the time to simply observe the ways he has changed over the past year from the safety of the shadows. The young prince looks fierce bathed in the orange torch light of the grounds. He stands tall, his stance perfect, as he draws back the string of a training bow and fires at a distant target. The arrow whistles through the air and strikes the exact center.

Hinoka heard talk that Takumi had taken to archery in his siblings absence, but she had no idea he was this skilled. Of course she should have expected nothing less of him, he's stubborn and when he devotes himself to something he does so with his entire heart.

She watches fascinated for a few more minutes as Takumi fires arrow after arrow. He never strays from his target, it's amazing. Eventually however, she clears her throat and announces her presence. “You're quite talented.”

Takumi hesitates at the sound of her voice. His posture stiffens, tense like a wild animal prepared to flee or pounce. He doesn't look in her direction, merely notches another arrow and continues his practice. “Well, it seems like it's become a tradition for the oldest sibling to leave and run off to war without saying goodbye. I thought I should prepare myself.” He snaps, his words colored with cold unrestrained anger.

Oddly enough Hinoka is reminded of something Camilla said to her once. “I'm not sorry that I left. I felt it was something I needed to do, but I am sorry I didn't say goodbye. I'm sorry I hurt you it wasn't my intention, I've only ever wanted to protect you.”

Takumi doesn't exactly relax, but he doesn't yell at her either. He fires another arrow, and then lowers his bow. 

The arrow misses it's target, clattering the ground instead.

Frowning Takumi returns the bow to the rack with care. He pauses there, his hands on the bow and his back to Hinoka. “I'm glad you're home” he says, dropping his arms to his sides and then turns to leave.

“I missed you” Hinoka tells him as he passes her by.

She doesn't follow him as he leaves. Instead she approaches the weapons rack and grabs the bow Takumi was using. She notches an arrow from his abandoned quiver and copies his stance. Hinoka struggles briefly pulling the string back and marvels at how easily her brother made it look.

She fires.

The arrow hits her target but fails to make the center.

Lowering the bow Hinoka smiles. Takumi really is talented and she's incredibly proud of him. 

The tension between them isn't fixed, and it might not be fixed for a while, but deep down Hinoka knows they will be okay.

-

Prince Xander is crowned the king of Nohr. 

His first action as king is to put an end to the invasion of Hoshido. 

-

As it turns out ending a war is not as simple as starting one. Hinoka doesn't quite understand the politics, but the hostilities between Hoshido and Nohr don't simply end. It takes a single order to start an invasion, a single word to hurt a friend, and it takes a lot more than that to even begin healing the damage. Hinoka isn't directly involved in the matter, but Queen Mikoto and Ryoma both spend days pouring over books and negotiating with ambassadors and advisers. Part of these negotiations involves the exchange of war prisoners.

Azura.

As part of the prisoner exchange Ryoma had ridden out to the border personally. Hinoka was told princess Camilla is responsible for the prisoners on Nohr's side. As badly as Hinoka wanted to go with Ryoma he insisted she remain in the castle, and she couldn't come up with an excuse to follow him that wouldn't completely give her away.

Hinoka has lost track of how many times she's nearly mounted her pegasus and flown off to the border despite what her brother says. It worked out alright for her the first time.

Instead she's stuck at home, pacing the main hall with her mother and her reaming siblings as they wait eagerly for Ryoma's return. Hinoka feels like she is a child again. At least this time around she knows for certain Azura and Ryoma are alive and coming home, she just needs to be patient.

Patience has never been her strong suit.

Mikoto crosses the hall, reaching out for Hinoka's hand to cease her pacing. “It's going to be okay.” She says, her kind smile soothing some of Hinoka's restless energy.

The restlessness returns as soon as the doors open. Ryoma enters first, but standing just behind him is Azura.

Her sister.

She looks almost exactly as Hinoka remembers. Her hair is still a long silky blue and her eyes are still a brilliant shade of gold. She's tired, worn, and thinner but it's still her. It's still Azura. Tears fill Hinoka's eyes. She can't believe it. After all these years she is finally home. Damn decorum, Hinoka starts running with Takumi and Sakura close behind.

A bright smile takes over Azura's tired features and she opens her arms wide. Hinoka reaches her first, her arms going around Azura's small frame and holding on tight. “I thought I'd never see you again!” Hinoka sobs, staining the front of Azura's white dress with her tears.

“Hush, it's okay, we're all okay.” Azura soothes.

Sakura and Takumi join the hug on either side of Hinoka, and Azura happily holds them for far longer than any polite hug should last. 

They made it. Despite everything they made it.

Once Azura's siblings have sufficiently convinced themselves that their sister is real and not going anywhere, the four of them reluctantly part to allow Mikoto to approach. For a few tense moments mother and daughter simply stand across from each other, not saying a word. The tensions breaks as Azura's eyes begin to water, tears sliding down her cheeks. She lifts a hand to wipe them away but Mikoto gets there first, cupping Azura's face in her hands. “You're home. You're finally home.” She whispers with awe in her voice

“Mother...” Azura bites her lip as she beings to tremble. She throws herself into Mikoto's embrace and hides her tears.

Everything is going to be okay.

Their family is back together and Hinoka is never going to let anything happen to them again.

-

Azura effortlessly falls back into her place as the eldest princess of Hoshido, almost as if she was never gone. Of course some things have changed, but some of those changes manifest in positive ways. Hinoka now joins her sister for early morning flights, and she has gained a new sparring partner. As it turns out, Azura makes for an even more challenging opponent. 

It's everything Hinoka has wanted for so long. Everything should be perfect, and it would be, if Hinoka hadn't left half of her heart on the battlefield. With everything else in her life having fallen into place, Hinoka is now more aware of Camilla's absense in her life.

How long has it been since she's seen Camilla? It might as well be a lifetime given everything that's happen in the past year. Hinoka misses her like a limb. It isn't the same as missing Azura, not at all, but it's still painful. Most days she gets by just knowing Camilla is alive, but seeing her would be far better.

Not once has Camilla attempted to contact her since the cease fire. Hinoka isn't sure how situations like this are meant to go, is it her responsibility to reach out first? What would she even say? How would she even go about it? She has so many questions and no one to ask for answers. The burden of these questions has begun to weigh heavily on her heart.

“Hinoka? Is something bothering you?”

Hinoka startles. She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she completely forgot that she and Azura were taking a walk through the gardens. “Sorry, my mind is elsewhere” she confesses. How long had she been spacing out? She has no idea.

“Would you like to talk about it?” Azura offers with gentle concern. It is very like her to immediately offer a listening ear. Hinoka finds she is momentarily overcome with emotion. She's so happy Azura is home.

In all honesty she would love to tell Azura everything that happened, but she's worried about how her sister might react. If Hinoka told her and Azura reacted negatively it just might break her. No one's opinion means more to her, will she be upset to learn Hinoka met someone during the war? Would she think Hinoka disgusting for falling for a woman? That one seems unlikely but Azura might take issue with who said woman is. Camilla is after all Nohrian, and worse yet a princess. Azura could very well be upset to learn Hinoka fell for one of the very people involved in her capture and subsequent torture.

Hinoka realizes she's close to hyperventilating. 

Azura lays a pale hand delicately on Hinoka's shoulder. Her eyes sparkle like the sun, her smile is genuine and full of sisterly love with not an ounce of disgust but how quickly might that change? “You don't need to tell me if you aren't ready, but I want you to know I'm here if you need me.”

“I want to tell you” Hinoka sighs, “I'm just scared you'll be disappointed in me.”

“Hinoka I'm your sister. I could never be disappointed in you. I'll love you no matter what happens I promise you that.”

“Surly there must be a limit to what you'll forgive.”

Azura's smile turns mischievous “well I suppose if you were to decide one day to become a master criminal I would need to give you a stern talking to.”

Trying to picture Azura giving her a stern lecture makes her laugh. Even if Hinoka did decide to become a master criminal, she suspects Azura would be perfectly okay with that so long as Hinoka was happy and taking care of herself. It warms her heart none the less and gives her courage. “What would you say if I told you I met someone?”

“Do you mean romantically?”

Hinoka glances away. “Y-yeah.”

“Then I would say congratulations.”

“Ah... what if the person I met... w-well she's a woman.”

Azura doesn't shout, she doesn't call Hinoka disgusting, in fact she hardly reacts at all. “Does this woman make you happy?” She asks, her tone only curious not at all upset or unhappy.

“Very much” Hinoka says. Even though she and Camilla often fought Hinoka never regretted a moment with her. Sometimes she thinks Camilla was all that kept her sane in the early months of the war. Hinoka misses her so much.

“Then I am happy for you.”

Here goes nothing. “T-there's more.”

“Oh?”

This is her moment of truth. Hinoka takes a deep breath and tries not to choke on her words. “She... I met her during battle. She's from Nohr. A princess actually.”

There.

It's out in the open now.

No taking it back.

“You mean princess Camilla.”

“I-I do.”

Azura is quiet for a moment, and those few seconds practically kill her. “That must have been difficult, having feelings for someone you had to fight day after day, and now being so far apart.”

“Are you angry?”

“No, love is something not often found and should be celebrated no matter the form.”

Hinoka flushes. Love? Does she love Camilla? They hardly know each other off the battlefield! “I-I don't know if I l-love her yet.”

“None the less I am happy for you Hinoka I truly am.” Azura stops, turning to face Hinoka and taking both her hand in her own, “but I am also concerned. Is this truly what you want? A relationship with the princess of a previous enemy will not be easy.”

The thought has crossed Hinoka's mind. “I know, but if she is whiling I think it would be worth it. I don't know what kind of life we could have or what sort of relationship but I want it, whatever I can have with her I want it more than anything.”

“You've never chosen the easy path a day in your life. I should have expected you to fall for someone unreachable, if only to prove you could.”

“Are you... are you making fun of me?”

Azura laughs, and doesn't answer. Rather she moves the conversation elsewhere. “What do you plan to do about your princess?”

“I'm not sure. I thought when the war ended we could be together but I'm starting to think I was just being childish.

“Hm... you know Ryoma mentioned to me this morning that King Xander intends to visit Hoshido in order to finalize negotiations.”

“R-really?” Hinoka tries not to sound too hopeful.

Azura nods, “perhaps princess Camilla will be traveling with him.”

“I hope so. I really hope so.”

“Have faith Hinoka. Everything will be well.”

Hinoka wishes she had her sisters confidence. 

-

Once more Hinoka finds herself anxiously waiting in the main hall, this time trying to keep calm while awaiting the arrival of the Nohrian royalty. She's stood beside Sakura and Takumi and try as she might, Hinoka cannot stop fidgeting. 

Are her robes straight? Does her hair look okay? Is she sweating? What if she makes a fool of herself in front of everyone? Should she have chosen a different outfit?

Queen Mikoto keeps sending her worried looks, while Azura has an amused grin on her face from where she stands beside Ryoma. 

Today Hinoka is going to see Camilla again after so long. She's so tense that her bones are practically aching with it. She's been a nervous wreck since Ryoma informed her that all of the Norhian royalty would be arriving with King Xander for peace talks. This morning Hinoka could hardly even eat as butterflies had taken up a permanent residence in her stomach.

The grand and ornate main hall doors being to open.

Hinoka feels like she's going to throw up.

The first to enter is king Xander. He looks different from the man Hinoka met on the battlefield, his eyes are weary and he appears somehow much older than he did just a year ago. None the less he present a noble picture. He stands strong and capable just as he had leading the Norhian army.

To Xander's right is a shorter young man with blonde hair and intelligent eyes. His demeanor reminds Hinoka of Takumi in a way, while the young woman beside him appears about Sakura's age. However judging by the girls skipping steps which bounce her curly pigtails, her personality is likely opposite that of princess Sakura's.

To Xander's left are two more young women. The younger of the two has silver hair and wide red eyes which scan the hall with unabashed curiosity, but Hinoka only spares her a glance as her attention is immediately captivated by the elegant woman at her side.

She looks so different.

Hinoka has never seen Camilla in anything but masculine armor which was designed for function not fashion. Now she is dressed to impress in black armor that flatters her curves and more than ample cleavage. The purple cape covering her shoulders matches her eyes and her boots show off her long legs. Camilla stands with the same grace, and moves with the same effortless confidence. However she's grown her hair long enough that it touches her lower back. The length has exposed her curls which bounce around her shoulders when she walks. It suits her incredibly well.

Princess Camilla is easily the most beautiful woman Hinoka has ever seen. 

Hinoka panics. How is she supposed to function when Camilla is standing right there looking absolutely radiant? 

What if Camilla looks at her now and decides she isn't pretty enough? Hinoka could never hope to look as beautiful as Camilla does now. What if she isn't elegant enough? What if she has changed her mind about everything?

The moment Hinoka thinks she might break down and cry, Camilla catches her gaze and winks in her direction with a charming smile.

It both calms her and makes heat rush to her cheeks.

How can anyone function when faced with such ethereal beauty? 

Caught up in her thoughts Hinoka realizes she hasn't been paying attention as Mikoto introduced each of her children.

“It is an honor to meet the Hoshidan royal family” King Xander tells them politely. To Hinoka's surprise he then addresses to her and Ryoma directly. “I am pleased that we can finally meet on peaceful terms rather than on the battlefield.”

“As am I” Ryoma agrees. He sounds genuine despite the bloody history between them. Perhaps friendships between Nohrians and Hoshidans aren't impossible after all.

King Xander goes on to introduce each of his siblings. Prince Leo, his only brother, princess Elise his youngest sister, and then princesses Camilla and Corrin. The prince bows and each of the princesses courtesy, all save for Camilla who bows like her brother.

“I am honored to welcome you all to Hoshido” Mikoto says, “King Xander your family is welcome to explore the castle, we can discuss politics tomorrow after you are better rested. Is that acceptable?”

“It is your majesty. Thank you.”

“Princess Camilla perhaps you would like a tour of our pegasus stables?” Azura suggests, mischief in her eyes that anyone who didn't know her well would miss. “My sister Hinoka I am sure would be happy to show you.”

Hinoka doesn't know if she is happy for Azura's interference or embarrassed beyond belief. She's ended up somewhere between the two. “I-I would be honored” she stutters.

“Well, I can hardly pass us such an invitation. I would love to.” Camilla says.

Hinoka looks to her mother, seeking permission. Mikoto nods her head, and Hinoka proceeds to lead Camilla out of the main hall. She avoids Azura's knowing grin all the while.

Outside the air lacks some of the tension of the main hall, but the silence is still awkward as they begin walking. Hinoka isn't sure how to go about breaking it, as it doesn't seem to be bothering Camilla at all. If anything she looks to be finding the entire situation amusing. Still Hinoka can't let this opportunity pass her by. Azura gave her the perfect setting to speak with Camilla alone, all she has to do is open her mouth and talk. 

Why is this so hard? “Y-you grew your hair long” is the first thing Hinoka can think to say. It sounds weak to her own ears but at least it's something.

“I did. Not many people know this but I met this wonderful princess who inspired me to be myself regardless of what people expect from a dragon knight.”

“M-me? I didn't do anything.”

“You did more than you know.” Camilla halts their steps, turning toward Hinoka. They've stopped on an empty path near enough to the gardens that cherry blossoms mark the ground. “You still blush so adorably, exactly as I remember.”

Hinoka shivers.

“I... I'm sorry about your father.” She whispers, wincing as silence follows. She isn't sure why she has chosen now to express this sentiment. It hardly feels like the right time but with the atmosphere broken Hinoka can think of nothing else to do but to recklessly continue forward. “I know you had a complicated relationship with him but I am sorry for your loss. I know how hard it is to loose a parent, I can't imagine what it must feel like to loose both.”

“Thank you” Camilla says, her voice stiff and formal. “I can't say I am not happy he is gone in some ways. My siblings are safe at last, and my darling Corrin is free to travel to her hearts content. Still, he was my father I suppose. Once at least.”

Hinoka would like to say something to comfort Camilla, but she doesn't feel as though she has earned the right. Instead she tries to think of something new to say, a lighter happier topic. “Um... tell me how you've been since I saw you last.”

Fortunately Camilla takes the shift in conversation with stride. They begin walking again. “There isn't much to tell. My dear Xander has been very busy and I have done my best to support him. He is a young king but I have no doubt he will be an excellent ruler. When there has been time Corrin and I have been traveling all over Nohr. I'd love to show her the entire world if I can.”

There is so much love in Camilla's tone as she talks about her sister. What it would be like to have such devotion and care direction at her, what she wouldn't give to make that so. To be the focus of Camilla's unwavering affection... “You and your sister must be close.”

“I am close with all my precious siblings but Corrin is special. When father sent her away to the fortress I tried to spend as much time with her as I could so she wouldn't feel lonely. Because of that I have always been more protective of her.” Camila twists a strand of her hair around her fingers. It's very distracting. “What of your siblings? You have just as many as I do.”

“Hm? Oh! My siblings? Um... Ryoma is happy to be home although he's been helping mother with the negotiations so I haven't seen him much. Of course we're all happy to have Azura back. I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to have the family together again, although it was difficult at first, being home after so long. Takumi is still angry with me.”

“Your younger brother? The angry one with the silky hair?”

Hinoka laughs, although the description is certainly apt. “Yeah. He's upset that I left without saying goodbye, leaving him to take care of mom and Sakura. I don't blame him, it's exactly how I felt when Azura left to fight, like she left me with all the responsibility. Takumi and I have been doing better lately but things are still a bit awkward. My brother is stubborn and temperamental but I know we'll be okay.”

“He sounds a bit like my brother Leo, though Leo is certainly less direct with expressing his anger. I'm glad you and your brother are on speaking terms again.”

“I am happy your sister Corrin won't need to be so lonely anymore. She seems like a nice young woman.”

Mentioning Corrin draws a breathtaking smile from Camilla. “I think the two of you would get along if you are interested in meeting her, but you should know if you hurt her I will have to kill you. No matter how pretty you are.”

Hearing such a thing from Camilla hardly phases Hinoka. She knows all about Camilla's violent side, and she does not doubt that she is serious with her threat. If Hinoka didn't know her so well, she might have been disturbed but mostly she is amused. “I wouldn't dream of it.”

“I know dear.”

They lapse into another silence, though this one is not so suffocating. Camilla admires the cherry blossoms while Hinoka attempts to gather her thoughts. It's amazing how the distance between them has disappeared in an instant, like they were never apart. They have fallen into step beside each other like no time has passed.

Yet Hinoka cannot find the words to speak her mind.

Perhaps she should attempt to broach such a subject with subtly. Caution. Hinoka takes a deep breath. She keeps her gaze focused on the road ahead, if she dares look at Camilla she is sure she'll loose her nerve. 

She just needs to be subtle.

Breathe.

“So what else have you been up to” Hinoka asks, her voice a little too loud, “have you made any new friends? R-romantic friends?”

That was far from subtle. Hinoka would slap herself if she thought she could get away with it without looking strange. 

Camilla however simply hums, “why Hinoka dear, why ever would you want to know that?”

“I-I'm just curious! Catching up with an old friend and all!” Hinoka laughs awkwardly, wishing the ground would swallow her. Anything to make her stop talking. 

“Why is that I wonder” Camilla teases.

Hinoka sighs and runs a hand through her short hair. Why does this have to be so damn hard? She just needs to tell Camilla how she feels, so why does it feel like a life or death situation? Maybe it's time she throws caution to the wind and simply jumps. That has worked out well for her so far in life. Reckless abandon is part of who she is.

Hinoka won't miss this chance.

“The truth is Camilla, I really care about you” she says in a rush. Hinoka drags them to a stop again beneath one of the cherry trees and meets Camilla's gaze head on. She takes one of Camilla's hands in her own, lacing their fingers together. “In all the time we have known each other the feelings I have for you haven't changed. While we were enemies it seemed impossible but I... I-I don't want to miss this opportunity to tell you how I feel about you. I know it will be difficult. We are still princesses from two very different countries but I love you and I want to be with you.”

Camilla looks down at their clasped hands. “Hinoka... I am not an easy person to love. My family will always come first, and I can be quite possessive of my things.”

“I know, but I love you anyway.”

Camilla lifts their joined hands and places a sweet kiss to Hinoka's knuckles. “Of course I love you as well. Who wouldn't love someone as adorable as you?”

Hinoka smiles as a rush of happy tears spill down her checks. She shuts her eyes, trying to stem the tears but it doesn't work for her. A warm palm cups her cheek, Camilla's thumb wiping away the tears. “Beautiful women shouldn't cry princess, it doesn't suit you.”

Hinoka laughs. “They're happy tears.”

Camilla pulls her closer and kisses the space between her eyes before she leans down and presses their lips together. The kiss tastes faintly of salt but it's absolutely perfect none the less. Hinoka presses that much closer, curling an arm around Camilla's waist with no intention of letting go.

Against Hinoka's lips Camilla smiles.

Just like that everything has fallen into place.

-

No relationship is without it's flaws.

Princess Hinoka of Hoshido and Princess Camilla of Nohr do not get an easy happily ever after. There is still tension between their respective countries and that tension will not ease quickly, but Hinoka for one is hopeful that everything will turn out alright in the end.

After all, marriages between royals do wonders for diplomacy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they all lived happily ever after.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and sticking it out to the end.


End file.
